Unit 042, Nevada

The unit covers approximately 1,261 square miles of classic Great Basin basin-and-range topography. Valley floors sit between roughly 4,000 and 4,500 feet elevation; mountain ranges rise to 7,582 feet in the Eugene Mountains (the highest point in the unit), with the Majuba Mountains reaching 6,572 feet and the Antelope Range topping out near 6,165 feet. The Kamma Mountains and Trinity Range portions within the unit are lower. Terrain is predominantly mild to flat in the broad valley basins and playas, transitioning to moderate to steep slopes in the mountain ranges. Rye Patch Reservoir, backed by the Humboldt River on the eastern edge near Imlay, provides a significant water feature at the lower elevations.

The unit is almost entirely BLM Winnemucca District public land, with a checkerboard pattern of private sections interspersed, particularly in the Lovelock Valley near I-80 and along the Humboldt River bottom. There are no designated wilderness areas or national forest lands within the unit. No developed trailheads exist; access is by vehicle on a network of maintained and primitive two-track roads. Four-wheel drive is necessary for most off-highway roads. Key access corridors: Interstate 80 provides southern and eastern access with exits at Lovelock, Rye Patch Reservoir/Imlay, Mill City/Unionville, and Winnemucca; Jungo Road (Humboldt County Road 346) runs east-west across the northern portion connecting Winnemucca to Gerlach; Nevada SR-399/Seven Troughs Road forms the western boundary. Interior roads branch from these arteries to reach Majuba Canyon, Imlay Summit Road, Antelope Summit Road, Trinity Canyon, Blackrock Canyon, Poker Brown Gap, Sportsman's and Natchez Springs, and the west side of Rye Patch Reservoir. Dispersed camping is unrestricted on BLM land; fee campgrounds are available at Rye Patch State Recreation Area on I-80. Services (fuel, lodging, hospital) are available in Winnemucca, Lovelock, and Fernley; restaurants and fuel also in Gerlach, Rye Patch Reservoir exit, and Mill City/Unionville.

Desert sagebrush (primarily big sagebrush) blankets the hills, lower mountain slopes, and valley floors throughout the unit and constitutes the dominant cover type. Scattered stands of single-leaf pinyon and Utah juniper appear at mid to upper elevations on the mountain ranges. Isolated aspen stands occur at higher elevations in the Eugene and Majuba Mountains. Lower valley floors and playas support salt desert shrub, greasewood, and rabbitbrush communities. Riparian brush, willows, and grasses occur along the Humboldt River corridor near Rye Patch Reservoir and scattered drainages. Water guzzlers and natural springs supplement available water sources; feral horses and burros greatly exceeding BLM Appropriate Management Level compete heavily for water and forage.

Mule deer are present on all mountain ranges at low densities; the unit-group (041/042 combined) population is estimated at approximately 600 animals (NDOW QR Form, April 2025). The herd is considered stable. Deer use sagebrush-juniper mountain slopes as summer and transitional range and move to lower valley-edge habitats in winter. Low densities make deer vulnerable to predation; limited water sources and feral horse and burro numbers greatly exceeding BLM Appropriate Management Level also impact population dynamics. Pronghorn antelope are the most abundant big game, with densities described as average to high across the unit group. Antelope distribute from valley floors to the higher elevations of each mountain range, generally within two miles of a water source. Recommended areas in unit 042 include the northeastern Trinity Range (Trinity Canyon, Blackrock Canyon, Sportsman's and Natchez Springs), Poker Brown Gap, west Rye Patch Reservoir, Majuba Canyon, Imlay Summit Road, Antelope Summit Road, Kamma Mountains, and Eugene Mountains. Mountain lion are resident and prey on mule deer and pronghorn. Feral horses and burros are substantially over BLM Appropriate Management Level throughout the unit, significantly impacting water sources and forage. Chukar partridge and sage grouse are present in suitable sagebrush and rocky-slope habitats.